Tories besieged as 80,000 demonstrate against government policies of cruelty
A familiar sight: The Boys in … Fluorescent Yellow were a prominent part of the anti-Conservative demonstration – whether they wanted to protest against the Tories or not.
It has been dubbed an anti-austerity march, but that would be doing the variety of protests and depth of feeling a disservice.
The anti-Conservative event in Manchester city centre today (Sunday, October 4) attracted at least 80,000 people (don’t believe the estimates of 60,000 – police always round down by thousands) from all walks of life and for many reasons.
It was an overwhelmingly good-natured event, as the following photos demonstrate – but, as usual, there were still a few people who had to try to spoil it for everyone else.
So one conference delegate was hit by an egg, and several journalists were left shaken after a handful of idiots spat on them, calling them Tories.
Maybe they felt justified attacking the Torygraph‘s Kate McCann (they weren’t) but what they thought they were achieving by attacking the Huffington Post‘s Owen Bennett or Channel 4 News reporter Michael Crick is anybody’s guess – both the HuffPost and C4News have supported critics of the Conservative Government with fair reports.
Meanwhile, the venue for the Conservative Party conference, and the nearby Midland Hotel, have been surrounded by a so-called “ring of steel”. This indicates that the 12,000 Tories who have gathered in Manchester for their annual party conference may be thinking that holding it in an anti-Tory stronghold might not have been such a good statement of power and indifference to protest after all.
Inside, Tories are dedicated to pushing through their new Trade Union Bill, which will restrict industrial action and make it possible for employers to hire agency staff during strikes; and David Cameron announced on TV earlier in the day that the Tories will go ahead with cuts to in-work tax credits. He said they were part of a package that will make people better-off, but you’d be a fool to believe him.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn sent a message of support to the tens of thousands of demonstrators.
Junior doctors marching in Manchester.
Campaigners against NHS privatisation. Notice the ‘pig’ poster in the background – that’s a story David Cameron won’t be living down any time soon.
The Student Assembly Against Austerity was marching against racist scapegoating.
Iain Duncan Smith might deny the accusations, but the people of the UK can make up their own minds.
The Tories would have you believe this is the ugly face of popular protest in the UK today. What do you think?
The marchers lined the streets of Manchester.
Surrounded by yellow flags, teachers were speaking out for education and saying no to austerity in the Manchester sun with ATL Union.
Get the message?
Protesters confront Conservative Party delegates.
Reinstated PCS rep Candy Udwin with colleagues from the National Gallery in Manchester.
This Conservative ended up with egg on his face after brandishing a picture of Margaret Thatcher at the crowd…
… and this is how at least one of his colleagues saw fit to respond.
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is it the same ‘Michael Crick’ who tried stirring the anti Corbyn pot when his cameraman, or a cameraman got knocked over?
See the following comment from Lovejoy.
It was both the polıce and the TUC who quoted the turnout to be 60,000.
An excellent protest. Seems odd someone calling Michael Crick a tory (given he exposed IDS’ CV as being as accurate as a WCA report). I hope this encourages people to stand up and fight back.
The numbers are growing but a long way to get to the numbers at the march against Thatcher’s unemployment in Liverpool, 1980. I was down with a group and our regional banner but was so near the back that, by the time we got to the rally point, most of the speakers had gone home. The current scum deserve much more protest than they get. Are the public really insensitised to what is going on?
Thank you all that went to Manchester ;-)
most shameful to see so many selfish conservatives in Manchester i live among them and it’s a terrible thing to say i hate them and what they stand for
very sad that i myself should say that as i have never in my life had those feelings for anyone else in the world and we need as a country to take that Strong message on board and that’s to get behind the labour party because time is running out for a few types of people and for them the next election will be to late much to late
The earlier BBC News said it was 100,000………….the figure was dropped from later bulletins.
Complete absence of aerial views of the march, too.
And that absence of aerial views is interesting, as there were quite a few helicopters around. They were really making my teeth itch after a while.
Lets get them torys and all those who are exploiting us and our country for their own gain. Sanction them all. They are supposed to work for the people, not make life so hard with 0 contract hr, sanction of young kids making them feel worthless Putting retirement age up. silver spooned w***ers.
There are no strippergrams to be found anywhere else in the city…. Ok, Don’t know for sure; but under no other circumstances (not even the derby footy matches) are there this many police in the city. So instead of catching crooks, every single cop from miles around is in the city centre threatening protestors (or shoppers, or people trying to go to work, or anyone else who doesn’t run fast enough)
I know of people who were appealing to bosses yesterday for lenience ‘Yes, I’m half an hour late for work. Does the hour I was delayed by the filth count into this? Why was I stopped? Because I look like a soft touch’
On the plus side; people who work in Starbucks have an extra shift or two….
This, as usual, wasn’t reported properly on our right wing biased new networks, cheers Rupert, great to see so many people out protesting, this was condemned of course by the tories and their right wing allies, anything that goes against them, they fear and hate, too bad, this is what democracy is, don’t like it, leave office and the country!